The best VPN services of 2019

Read 10 of the top VPN reviews in our comparison that'll give the answer to your question: What is the best VPN? If you're concerned about online privacy, a VPN will help keep snoopers at bay, and can help you access blocked sites, too.

Discover 10 of the best VPN services, find out why you need one & decide which VPN to choose

By
Jon Thompson & Benny Har-Even
| 11 Jan 2019

There are hundreds of VPN services available, but what's the best VPN? It can be really tricky to know which one to buy. To help you decide, we've tested many of them and share our top VPN reviews with you right here in our VPN comparison.

A VPN, which stands for virtual private network, is what you're looking for if you're concerned about online privacy, or want to access region-blocked content.

They help keep snoopers at bay by offering completely anonymous browsing, but can also allow you to access blocked content and region-blocked sites such as Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer.

This is because they offer the ability to change your virtual location. You could be on holiday in the US and connect to a UK server to watch your favourite shows on iPlayer, for example. We explain more in our separate guide: Are VPNs legal?

What's the best VPN?

Above is a handy overview to guide you if you're in a bit of a hurry, but we've got reviews of each of our top 10 VPNs below to give you more insight and help you make an informed decision, as well as helpful VPN buying advice.

Best VPN reviews

NordVPN is intuitive to use, with a handy SmartPlay feature that will help you connect to the server best suited to your needs.

5238 servers across 62 countries

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

6 simultaneous connections

Mobile apps & browser extensions available

Based in Panama and complete with a customisable kill switch, it's great for those concerned about privacy too. There's an ad-blocker and malware protection feature available within the package too, as well as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

The three year option works out at a good price, at around £2.30/US$2.99 per month (£85/$107.55 upfront), and we don't hesitate to suggest committing. Additional plans include one month, six months, one year and two years.

The premium interface, huge number of servers and variety of features make it highly recommended.

Easy to use, but speedy and comprehensive, ExpressVPN is worth the extra cost if you're looking for a reliable VPN service that will work on all your devices.

2000+ servers across 94 countries

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

3 simultaneous connections

Mobile & router apps, plus browser extensions available

We found ExpressVPN to be reliable with quick and efficient support available when you need it.

No logs are kept, neither connection nor activity, and while it's outside of the 14-eyes its headquarters in the British Virgin Islands is a bit of a grey area.

You can get ExpressVPN for your router and there's a kill switch facility called Network Lock that will keep you safe should your connection drop out. There are also browser extensions available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Goose VPN is a fast, very easy-to-use VPN aimed squarely at domestic users who want access to foreign media. With few options to set, and a simple interface, this is up there among our favourite VPN options available.

77 server locations across 27 countries

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

Unlimited simultaneous connections

Mobile apps & browser extensions available

You'll get access to US Netflix from the UK, as well as other region-blocked content.

The downside to Goose VPN is that it has a small number of server locations across less countries than others mentioned here, but short connection time, connection quality and success in accessing foreign media makes up for it.

A great all-rounder is PureVPN, which is super speedy, very reasonably priced and is situated outside of the '14 eyes'.

More than 2,000 severs across 141 countries

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

5 simultaneous connections

Mobile apps & browser extensions

PureVPN has a large selection of servers across one of the biggest ranges of countries of all ten services mentioned here. It now operates a strict no-logging policy.

It's easy to install, has lots of features and modes, and offers access to blocked sites and streaming including Netflix US.

It's one of the cheaper options available and there are often great deals to be had if you keep an eye out. Right now there are one year, three month and one month plans available, all of which you'll find on PureVPN's website.

Behind TunnelBear's quirky approach lies a solid, fast, low-cost product that gets the job done without fuss or overburdening you with options and choices. It's a winner for families and people on the move.

Only 22 countries available

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

5 simultaneous connections

Mobile apps & browser extensions

There are 22 countries available via TunnelBear, but you won't get a choice of server. This may put off some serious privacy advocates, as will the head office in Canada, which is in the top tier of '5-eyes' countries that share signals intelligence.

However, this is a VPN firmly dedicated to securing family browsing, not dissident traffic. Connections are quickly established and we had no trouble accessing US Netflix.

There are three pricing tiers to TunnelBear. The lowest is free, and gets you 500MB per month. The monthly plan is £7.35/US$9.99 for unlimited data, and the yearly plan is just £3.65/$5 per month for unlimited data.

CyberGhost is a low-cost newbie-friendly VPN with a simple interface. Based in Romania, and therefore outside the 14-eyes, CyberGhost offers a wide range of pre-configured services.

2,790 servers across 60 countries

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

7 simultaneous connections

Mobile apps but no browser extension

By selecting the activity you want to use, CyberGhost will automatically choose the server that best suits your needs.

There's a kill switch for extra protection, and there are apps available for all devices, even Rasberry Pi and home routers - though the Mac and smartphone apps lack some features from the Windows version.

You can choose to pay for CyberGhost on a month-by-month basis for £8.65/$11.99, or reduce the price by opting to commit to one year or three years.

Find out more about the pricing options for CyberGhost on its website.

VyprVPN is a family VPN offering great value for money from multiple simultaneous connections.

More than 700 servers across 70+ countries

Works with Netflix & other streaming services

Kill switch

Up to 5 simultaneous connections

Mobile apps but no browser extensions

There are more than 700 servers available to connect to worldwide, and we found it quick and easy to get a high quality connection from them. There's a kill switch, as well as simple-to-use mobile apps.

Hidden24 tunnels your traffic to its own UK-based server farm using the operating system's own VPN capability. That means it will work on any device including Android, Mac, iPhone or Linux as well as Windows. It's ideal for anyone looking for a serious VPN solution designed for people who want or need to communicate anonymously.

Only offers UK & US servers

Works with Netflix & BBC iPlayer

No kill switch

Only one connection at a time

No app interface

Hidden24 easy to use but the lack of an app or interface might put some beginners off. On the other hand, not having to install an extra app on their computer, phone or tablet in order to use the VPN may appeal to the more techy user looking for the best privacy.

It's a reasonably priced option, too. As well as the £4.99 1-month option, and 12-month option for £47.88/year (£3.99 per month), there's also a recurring 3-month option for £13.47. There's an exclusive deal available that'll get you the first three months for just £3.33, too. You can take advantage of that deal here.

The downside is the lack of browser extensions, poor support and difficulty connecting to Netflix and BBC iPlayer, as well as the price which is a bit more expensive than others listed here. The cheapest option is a one-year plan that works out at $6.49/£5.10 per month. It's also based in the US so is part of the 14-eyes.

Your guide to buying the best VPN

Choosing a VPN can be daunting. They vary in price quite dramatically, and you'll want to make sure you choose one you trust that will offer the features you require. Here, we talk you through what to look for in a VPN to help you make your decision.

If you're on a PC, you're in the right place. The 10 VPNs above have all been through our review process so you can trust that they're good options that we have tried and tested ourselves here at Tech Advisor.

We'd recommend visiting our article 'What is a VPN' if you're unsure about what exactly a VPN is and what it can do. You can also visit 'How to use a VPN' once you've chosen one to help you get started with using it.

It's important to note that installing a VPN on one device will only protect that device. If you want your media streamer (say an Amazon Fire TV Stick) to use the VPN connection, you'll either need to try and install a VPN app on it, look for VPN settings where you can enter your account details, or install an app for your router that'll cover all devices connected to it. Find out more in our article on how to use a VPN with a Fire TV Stick.

How to choose which VPN is best for you

What is the '14 Eyes' collective?

If you're most concerned about privacy, it's important to know where your VPN is based. In recent years some countries have got together to exchange information freely, nominally in a bid to enhance everyone's security. However, many groups are critical of this behaviour, believing that mass surveillance impinges on our freedoms.

The main group of countries that can share information freely is called the Five Eyes. They come from the UKUSA agreement that, although began back in 1941, was only made public knowledge in 2005. The agreement is between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, hence the name Five Eyes. Those countries have agreed to collect, analyse and share information between each other, and much of this intelligence is believed to be related to internet activity these days.

The Five Eyes has grown to include a total of 14 countries, which is why you'll hear a lot about '14-eyes' when reading about VPNs. Third party countries were added over time, and now additionally include Denmark, France, Holland, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Spain.

If your VPN provider is based within a country that is part of the 14 Eyes, it can be asked to share data of its customers and will legally have to comply. If your provider promises that it doesn't log any information, you're probably safe within the 14 Eyes, but it is more of a risk if privacy is your main concern and you might want to consider looking for a VPN provider that is based elsewhere.

What information does a VPN keep?

VPN providers have different levels of logging. Some choose to log connection time stamps, IP addresses and bandwidth used, while others log nothing at all. Some will also store basic payment information such as your name and address.

However, those looking for complete anonymity can seek a provider that accepts payment in the form of gift cards or Bitcoin, which makes it near-impossible to trace back to an individual.

What features should I look for in a VPN?

Most VPNs support all the major platforms but some offer more unusual platforms such as Kindle or Google Chrome. Also look out for restrictions on usage – some ban P2P while others are fine with it. Free- and trial versions normally have speed restrictions, while paid-for versions should have none.

Note that encryption can slow down connections. OpenVPN provides more protection, while PPTP is faster but less secure.

Also, if you're connecting to a server that's geographically far away, you are less likely to get the full speed that your ISP provides. Look out for server speed claims and make sure that you conduct tests to check whether you are happy early on, so you can get a refund within the time limit if you're not.

VPN bans in China and Russia

2017 and 2018 were been rocky years for VPNs. China has been cracking down on VPN use and as a result there are many that are no longer available from Chinese app stores. However, there are still VPN options available in China, including NordVPN for Windows.

Russia has been following suit, with President Vladimir Putin recently signing a law that prohibits the use of VPNs in the country. The law came into force on 1 November 2017, making VPNs illegal from that point onwards in Russia.